Rangel: Voter ID, immigration widen Legislature racial split

AUSTIN — Forget the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

After the historic setback for Texas and 25 other states that had challenged the constitutionality of the federal law critics call Obamacare, on Monday the legal team of state Attorney Greg Abbott is back in Washington for another big fight. This time in a lower federal court to defend the merits of a pending Texas law that, if upheld, would require voters across the state show government-issued photo identification before casting a ballot.

Here we go again.

Although thanks to the weeklong trial the public might have a better idea how serious voter fraud is in Texas — opponents of the voter ID law say it isn’t — the deep racial divide which highlighted last year’s session of the Texas Legislature might be in full display again when supporters and opponents of the legislation take the stand.

This is not an exaggeration. It is hard to think of another way to describe the racial tensions this measure triggered when the Republican-dominated body passed it over the strong objections of the Democratic minority.

Republicans, who are predominantly white, said the law is needed to secure the integrity of the electoral process.

But Democratic lawmakers, most of whom are Hispanics and African-Americans, countered that Senate Bill 14 is a legislative maneuver to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Texas voters — mainly among the elderly, the poor and non-whites — who lack photo identification and have trouble getting it.

Also, despite what Abbott and supporters of the law claim, there’s been hardly any voter fraud in Texas to justify the legislation, Democratic legislators argued during heated debates.

Moreover, for some voter ID opponents, particularly those old enough to remember the Jim Crow era, the legislation is reminiscent of the days before Congress passed the 1965 Voting Rights Act when non-whites faced obstacles — mainly the poll tax — if they wanted to exercise their right to vote.

Although most Republicans publicly dismiss such arguments as partisan posturing, a few privately acknowledge the voter ID bill, the redistricting fight, and legislation targeting illegal immigrants did indeed expose racial tensions in the Legislature. And judging by the heated debate of other measures such as the failed proposal that would have banned the so-called sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants, this divide is likely to widen before the two sides fully reconcile.

This was reaffirmed on June 26 when the Supreme Court struck down the Arizona law targeting illegal immigrants — except for a key provision allowing police to demand proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency of anyone detained. Some conservatives, mainly those identified with the tea party movement, said similar measures are needed in Texas, home to an estimated 1.7 million illegal immigrants, mostly from Mexico.

All of this talk explains why GOP leaders are pushing to get more non-white Republicans elected to the Legislature.

There are six Hispanic and two African-American Republicans — all in the 150-member House — in the current legislative cycle, the largest number in the statehouse’s history. They include a Southeast Texas Hispanic who switched parties in March after it became clear that, because of redistricting, he would seek re-election in a GOP-leaning district.

The election of more black and Hispanic Republicans is critical to the party because it would counter Democrats’ arguments that voter ID, sanctuary cities and anti-illegal immigration bills hurt racial minorities.

Although we should know on Nov. 6 how many Ds and Rs will serve in the 83rd Legislature, the lower court ruling in favor or against the voter ID law, as well as the outcome of the ongoing redistricting battle, should give us a better idea of how deep the racial divide is next year.

For now it looks it’ll be deeper than last year because — thanks to redistricting — even under the most optimistic projections, Republicans don’t expect another super majority

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It’s imperative to understand that our voting system is in serious trouble, because of the trust we once had is rapidity diminishing? Elections are now under attack by the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, guided by the Socialist-Marxist regime of President Obama’ Czars whose intention is to maintain the election laws as instituted in 1964. We really cannot speculate how long the greatest numbers of non-citizens have been voting, when our strict Constitutional laws were introduced for citizens only. Non-citizens and others ineligible to vote, have and will again either use absentee ballots or arrive at the voting station with hardly any oversight—other than their word to vote. This could be catastrophic in close races, as Democrats led by the hand of Liberals has compromised the whole system. Using the disingenuous ‘politically correctness’ an absurd enigma of the zealot progressives. The new in-word ‘Voter Suppression’ is being used to challenge the fact that unknown numbers of foreign nationals are voting in contradiction to the law. Voter Suppression has been added to the Marxist Lexicon as the race card, skin color and other different labels, which obnoxiously have the mechanism to turn our politicians into spineless cowards.
Eric Holder still emanating the stench of corruption from deep in the ‘Fast and Furious’ origination, is now pushing an agenda of disqualifying any laws that requests the use of official picture ID. Right now anybody can vote, if they have a mind to, which includes felons, deceased people, none citizens and especially illegal aliens or even the household pet. The ‘Motor Voter’ Act of 1993, can be obtained from any post offices, with hardly any emphasis that is a penal violation to vote if not a citizen?
1. When people register by mail they are NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE ANY FORM OF IDENTIFICATION.
2. When people register in person at a Department of Motor Vehicles or a Social Services agency, the government workers who handle their cases are not permitted to challenge their applications. In other words there are no safeguards in the voting process and the Democrats prefer it this way. So the election cycle is literary open to fraud.

In June 2011, a Rasmussen Report in a national phone survey likely U.S. voters said that voters should be required to show photo identification before being allowed to cast their ballots. This included 85% of Republicans, 77% of voters not affiliated with either major party, or 63% of Democrats. Support for such a law was high across virtually all demographic groups. Just 18% of respondents opposed the requirement.

You only have to read about the highly controversial scenario in Florida. Of course as with the Sanctuary State of California, Nevada the Justice Department is trying to control Texas on this matter. Millions of illegal aliens have defied the law and settled illegally in every American state and I can guarantee to the gullible public, that they are cheating the welfare system and other public services. This is evident when they smuggle their children through borders or knowingly enter America by international flights, fully aware that the U.S. taxpayer will cover the costs of the baby delivery and its uncompensated care from cradle to grave. Prospective President Mitt Romney had best be aware, to be guided by the growing millions of CONSTITUTIONAL TEA PARTY politicians that foreigners will be slowly but surely be repatriated.

Americans are frustrated and sick with the usual ‘Status Que’ of entrenched incumbents, who don’t play by the rules that supposedly govern us. A great example is the border fence that separates us from the drug Cartels and a whole litany of criminals. In many locations the fence doesn’t exist as its just open range, except for a few strands of eroded barbed wire? Go and check out the reputable surveys by light plane, across the stretches of Arizona at the AMERICAN PATROL site. Both political parties have lied to us, when they have been running the country, specifically the population figures of illegal migrants and immigrants already here. Must admit Obama started off well by huge numbers of illegal aliens deported, but it’s slowed to a crawl. I don’t trust neither party anymore and as an Independent, will vote for a true lawmaker who is a verified member of the TEA PARTY?

Bear in mind the TEA PARTY is the only knight in shining armor that will halt illegal immigration for good. We must replace every politician, Governor, Police Chief or other elected official who supports the illegal alien invasion, whether they are a Democrat, Liberal or even a Republican with a TEA PARTY leader. Join your local Constitutional Tea Party and remove Obama and endeavor to demand that Mitt Romney people enact mandatory E-Verify ‘The Legal Workforce Act’ (H.R. 2885) to reject unauthorized workers, with citizens and lawful non-citizens and then additionally an amendment the Birthright Citizenship law (H.R.140) Which will recognize for citizenship, only the babies of parents where at least one being a citizen.

When we cannot even care for our own citizens and legal residents properly, why is the government giving public benefits to criminals? Why for instance is the now aptly named ‘Sanctuary State’ of California hemorrhaging billions of dollars to pay for the health care, education of everybody who squats there? Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Andronovich, who denies nothing of the billions of dollars, spent every year; an incredulous taxpayer burden placed upon the populace of the state. Of course there is no need to persuade prudent Americans, well aware that the Liberals intoxicated with power are firmly established in Sacramento have caused this financial wreck. They passed an anti-Arizona law and by doing so have committed an even worse monetary demise. Without any fear of contradiction hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens will swarm California, because they believe they will be safe there from policing enforcement. That goes for any state that remains unconcerned about the impact of impoverished people stealing in from not only Arizona, but Alabama, Georgia, Utah, South Carolina and whoever else passes tough state policing enforcement laws.

Not that any other state that have poorly enforced immigration laws, will remain untouched?

The only way to change the direction of this country is by voting into Congress as many TEA PARTY legislators as is possible. Both parties have been given every chance in the world and have failed miserably. The more TEA PARTY politicians that can unseat Democrats and Republicans, the more influence we have to change Washington. Look to your own representatives in Congress and see if they are being dictated to by the ‘K” Street special interests, the unions, churches of a whole conglomeration of radical organizations. Is your local political personage against or for, illegal immigration? Did you Congressman vote an ordinance for a Sanctuary City or for Comprehensive Immigration Amnesty? Are you aware that a recent study projects a wide ranging Amnesty would cost all taxpayers $2.6 Trillion dollars, when we already owe the foreign investors $16 Trillion dollars. Learn more details at NumbersUSA . Citizen voters should phone Congress at the central Washington, D.C., Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and review there standing on issues as illegal immigration, ObamaCare, drilling for oil, gas and coal and halting the relentless pressure of rules and regulations that is stifling job expectations.